§ Mr. NIELDasked the Under-Secretary for War what was the reason for sending Private J. F. Clements, No. 3440, 6tb Battalion, No. 1 Company, Royal Fusiliers,, upon active service in France without permitting him to have the usual leave to visit his family previous to his departure; whether he is aware that upon enlistment the man was informed that he could transfer to the Royal Engineers when he had become an efficient soldier, his trade qualifying him for that regiment, and that such transfer has subsequently been refused, and will he state the reason for such refusal; what is the reason for only allowing the man's mother 4s. 11d, per week including allotment, seeing that before enlistment he paid her never less than 9s. a week and provided his mid-day meals himself; what is the reason for declaring that the deficiency amounts to only 2s. weekly, thereby reducing the allowance to the mother to vanishing point; and whether he will take steps to have this valuation reconsidered?
Mr. BAKERIt was impossible, owing to military exigencies, to grant this soldier leave before he proceeded to the front. There is no record that on enlistment any statement was made to him that he could transfer to the Royal Engineers on becoming an efficient soldier. The allowance of 4s. 11d. per week issued to his mother is correctly based on the assessment made and on the allotment offered by the soldier. The pension officer and the pension committee were in agreement in calculating the dependency at 2s. per week. The machinery for dealing with appeals will be announced very shortly and it will then be open to Mrs. Clements to have her case reconsidered.